High Court seeks report from Telangana in Miyapur land scam case

The bench made it clear to the state counsel that the details furnished by the government should contain information pertaining to the registration of scam-hit properties at MiyapurSagar Kumar Mutha | TNN | July 27, 2017, 16:30 IST

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday sought a status report within a week from the Telangana government on its ongoing probe into the Miyapur land scam along with the action it initiated so far against those who were found guilty. The bench of acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice T Rajani directed the state government to place the relevant records of sale transactions of Miyapur lands as well as the action taken by the government.

The bench made it clear to the state counsel that the details furnished by the government should contain information pertaining to the registration of scam-hit properties at Miyapur, particularly after a restraint order was passed by the Supreme Court in October 2014. The bench was dealing with a PIL filed by BJP spokesperson M Raghunandan Rao who sought a direction that the case be transferred to the CBI. He said that the Supreme Court had restrained the registrations of all transactions pertaining to the Miyapur land in survey numbers 20, 28, 100 and 101in October 2014. Ironically, as many as 700 acres were sold away even after this restraint order by SC. Basing on these fraudulent registrations, the banks gave huge loans.

He said that the investigation by local police was going astray and that the CBI should take over the case. The special government pleader said that the officers concerned had been suspended and cases registered. The bench then directed the state government to place on record the details of sales after the Supreme Court orders and details of the action taken against the officers. The bench wanted to know as to who sold the land and who purchased them and how much money exchanged hands. The case was adjourned to August 1. Raghunandan in his petition said that huge tracts of government land was scattered in various survey numbers in Miyapur village.

According to him, a parcel of land in Serilingampally mandal was registered in the name of private real estate firms with fabricated documents in collusion with revenue and registration department officials. Loans worth crores of rupees were obtained from nationalized banks by mortgaging the forged documents, he said. At this juncture, state counsel Sanjeev Kumar was asked to inform the court as to what action was taken in this case which was registered in the Kukatpally police station so far. To this, Kumar said that sub-registrars were suspended and remanded in judicial custody and the matter was under further probe.

The bench directed the chief secretary and the principal secretaries of home and revenue wings along with Ranga Reddy collector and the district registrar to convey to the court the number of documents registered in relation to the land. “Also, furnish to us the names and particulars of both transferer and transferee of the land, details of consideration paid for such transfer, extent of land involved in each of these transactions,” the bench said. It also wanted to be informed about the names and particulars of the sub-registrars who registered these documents and details of the action taken by the state government on such officials so far.

The Bench also directed the state counsel to inform the chief secretary and other officials about the order passed by the court and directed the HC registry to send the order copy to the officers concerned by a special messenger.